easy care plant for containers?

[kentishgal]

I am looking for something to put in tubs and window boxes that doesnt die off in the winter, is low growing and is easy care (ie- might survive the horrible weather we seem to be getting lately!).
I dont have much space in my garden and just read a thread about sinking pots into larger containers and swapping seasonally. This would be fantastic for me as I could keep something colourful on display all year without taking up valuable space with big pots that dont have alot going on. However Im wondering what to put in the spaces between pots??
Ideally something with low but good foilage so when you plonked your pot in it would hide the edges and make it look more established.
Any ideas???

[veggiechicken]

A small-leaved variegated ivy?

[kentishgal]

Dont think an ivy would fill in the gaps TBH. I bought 2 last year and they havent done well at all, probably coz of the lack of light.

[Two_Sheds]

Ivy loves shade: I've just hacked 8ft of it out from the back of my shed (total shade)

[kentishgal]

well, must just be my rotten gardening skills then!! Neither of mine (partial shade, heavy shade) have done well last year.
Still looking for some suggestions for some nice idiot proof, evergreen, low growing, bushy plants to grow in containers and boxes though??

[veggiechicken]

I can't stop ivy growing, even in the darkest corners . What about Heathers?

[Two_Sheds]

Still looking for some suggestions for some nice idiot proof, evergreen, low growing, bushy plants to grow in containers and boxes though??

How big are the containers?

And how low is low-growing? 3" high? 12"?


Evergreen doesn't often go with colourful. You're asking the impossible in one plant

[Two_Sheds]

Im wondering what to put in the spaces between pots?

I don't understand what you mean?

[kentishgal]

I seem to have confuddled people!!LOL.
What I mean is take a window box, sink a plastic pot or two in it then fill up the rest with compost. Now you have handy holes in your window box that you can plonk a flower pot with a flowering plant into (maybe polys through the winter, then spring bulbs, then pansies or flowering annuals). then you fill up the spaces between the empty pots with something very low growing (like 3-5") so you cant tell that you are just swapping out the colourful plants seasonally.
I hope that explained it better....it jst seemed like a really good idea for someone who is low on garden space!!

[mothhawk]

There's a saying about ivy: the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps.
So yours will probably take off this year!

[mothhawk]

What about house leeks between the pots? They come in lots of shades from pink through to green, don't need much soil, stay low growing, and are easy-care plants.

[Two_Sheds]

fill up the spaces between the empty pots with something very low growing

Ah, now I gotcha, you want something "ground covering" to act as a foil to your colourful flowers.







Ivy